Lever-lock.



.|. E. GILLMOR.

LEVER LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2a. 1915.

Pmnted my 27, 1915. f

2 SHEETS-SHEET Ii INVENTOR J. E. GILLMOR.

' LEVER LOCK.

APPylcATloN FILED APR.V23. 1915.

Patented July 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mur

WITN ESSES INVENTOR i ATTORNILY vw' CQLUMBIA PLA'NOURAPH Co..wASH1NuTON.D, C.

L? lili JOHN E. eILLivIon, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LEVER-LOCK.

Application led April 23, 1915.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. GILLMOR, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new anduseful Lever-Lock, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a class of devices for insuring againstaccident, more particularly in their application to the control of theswitches and signals of railroads.

Although its primary object is the automatic control against the errorof an operator, of the switches, signals, or semaphores of railroads, myinvention has fcr its further object the automatic locking of otherkindred devices to guard them against improper operation, that is to sayto eliminate from them the human element and also to insure as far aspossible that the parts are returned to normal position. Its furtherobject is to insure that when the devices which my invention comprehendsare locked in normal position they shall remain locked and shall beincapable of being unlocked eX- cept under conditions when unlocking isdesired.

Specically expressed, myinvention comprehends alock, operated by aremovable key and adapted to coperate with a latching device in turn adated to coperate with' levers the function o which, for instance, is tooccasion the operation of a switch or other device to be operated.

The invention further comprehends details of construction of va'generalcharacterV hereinafter described and typified-in thedrawings whichillustrate its application to` Nota switch stand of suitable character.withstanding that I have especially illustrated this particularapplication because it makes my invention more easily under-- stood, itshould be stated that the invention, broadly expressed, comprehends whatmay be termed a master lever-lock mechanism operating in connection witha master lever mechanism, the master lever being the element theaccurate locking of which against the error of an operator is primarilydesired and accomplished by means of the lever-lock mechanisnnand whichin practice maybe applied to the operation of one switch or of severalswitches, or of one cross-over, or of several cross-overs, or of acombination of single switches and single crossovers,or of multipleswitches and multiple cr0ss-overs,-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1915.

Serial No. 23,330.

all of which applications will be understood by those skilled in theart.

In all of the foregoing applications a manually operated removable keyto the lever-lock mechanism is an element which cannot be dispensedwith, but which can only be operated under desired conditions, andcannot be removed until the parts are in their normal and desiredposition.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my invention as appliedto one form of a low New Century switch stand, but not only because inpractice I have found such application to give satisfactory and reliableresults. It is to be understood, however, that the variousinstrumentalities in which my invention inheres may be otherwise andvariously arranged and organized, and that my invention is not limitedto any precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities.

In the drawings r-Figure l represents in perspective the new and usefullever-lock and switch lever mechanism which embody my invention and areshown' applied to one form of-a switch stand. Fig. 2 represents incentral, vertical, sectional elevation taken on the dotted lines 2 2 ofFig. 9, the lever lock and the switch lever mechanism in the positionswhich the parts occupy when the switch lever has been locked and the keyremoved,-the auxiliary locking bar which properly should appear in theapertures 24, within which it is entered,being` for clearness ofillustration, omitted. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 except that itis taken on the line -2-3 'of Fig. 9,with the key shown inserted, thebolt unlocked, the latch released andthe switch lever assumed' to bethrown over. In a consideration of all the figures it is to beunderstood that when the switch is unlocked the key cannot be removed. lFig. 4 represents in side elevation a detail of the cover plate of thelock casing removed from the casing, the View particularly illustratingthe depending lugs which constitute both the key bit stop and the checksto prevent the raising of the lock cylinder within the casing. Fig. 5represents a sectional plan through the lock casing on the dotted line-m of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 represents in top plan the cover plate of the lockcasing with the lid lifted,-the view showing the circular opening andslot for the introduction of the key. Fig. 7 represents a fragmentaryperspective view in the direction of the arrow A directed toward thecasing in Fig. 5, of the upper portion of the casing, of its coverplate, of the upper portion of the lock cylinder and of the key. 5 Fig.8 represents in top plan view, sectional on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2, theswitch lever of the switch stand represented in Fig. 1, Showing also theauxiliary locking bar, the lock casing being removed. Fig. 9 repre- 10sents in side elevation the devices represented in Fig. 8 and in theposition they occupy in said Fig. 8, that is to say locked. Fig. 10represents a fragmentary view in side elevation of the master or switchlever reversed or thrown from the position which itis shown as occupyingin Figs. 1, 8 and 9,*the auxiliary locking bar being in the position ofengagement with both of the apertures in the housing. Fig. 11 representsa fragmentary View showing in section a portion of the housing of thelever latch with the auxiliary locking bar in its locking position.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 ,-1 designates the lockcasing, being a hollow cylinder having a central opening 2 through itsbottom, in the present instance square to prevent the rotation of thenose 3 of the bolt body 4. The casing has a cover plate 5 fixed upon itwhich is provided with depending lugs 6--6 and 7, of which 6 6, as bestY shown in Fig. 5, are near the periphery of the interior of the coverand 7 nearer to its center, because it is the stop lug for the bit ofthe key hereafter described. The function of all three of the lugs is toprevent any vertical movement of' the lock cylinder 40 8 which isrotatable within the lock casing 1. 9 is a central circular opening inthe cover plate to admit the entrance of the barrel of the key, and 10is a slot radiating from said opening to admit the bit of the key, itbeing noticed that the slot 10 and stop lug 7 are so located withrespect to each other that when the key is inserted and turned to movethe bolt 3 to unlocking position, the key cannot be removed from thelock until it is again turned to return the bolt to locking position.The openingis preferably slightly tapered inwardly. 11vis a lid hingedon the cover plate to close the key opening. The lock cylinder 8 is ro`vidediwith internal threads 12 adapted to receive the external threads13 of the cylindric body 4 of the bolt. Obviously, as the bolt bodycannot rotate because its square nose 3 passes through the squaredopening 2 in the bottom of the lock casing, a rotation of the lockcylinder 8 will through its threads occasion, according to itsdirection, either the elevation or the depression of the bolt body,which in Fig. 2 is represented as depressed and in Fig. 3 as elevated.

When the bolt is down it locks and when it is up it sets free the leverlatch 14 hereinafter described. The head of the lock cylinder 8 isprovided with an upwardly extending post 15 which is suitably located 70with respect to the circular key opening 9 in the cover plate 5, and toreceive the hollow barrel 1G of the key, Figs. 1, 3, and 7, the bit ofwhich is designated 17 and the bow 18. Surrounding the post and in the'.75 head of the lock cylinder is formed a continuous circular groove 19into which the end of the hollow barrel of the key enters when the keyis inserted, as best shown in Fig. 3. 20 designates what I term a bit-30 notch formed in the head of the lock cylinder 8, radiating from thegroove 19 and serving to receive the bit 17 of the key, and

in the rotary movement of the key when inserted occasions the rotationof the lock cylinder to the extent of the movement of the key in thedirection of the internal arrow in Fig. 5, and from the upper or righthand side of the stop lug 7, as shown in said Fig. 5, past the dependinglugs 6-6 and 90 around to the lower or left hand side of said lstoplug,-so that a complete turn of the key vin one direction effects acomplete rotation of the lock cylinder and the complete upward movementof the bolt, and a complete turn in the other direction elfects thecomplete rotation of said lock cylinder and the complete downwardmovement of the bolt. The lock casing is conveniently erected upon aframing or standard 21 which is a part of or attached to a base plate22, and which carries or is formed with a looped housing 23 within whichis mounted the lever latch 14, preferably by being pivoted on the pivot25. The housing is formed with slots or apertures 24, into one of whichand through both of which, according to the throw of the switch lever,the outer end of the auxiliary locking bar is adapted to pass. Thenumeral 14 is placed upon and designates the body of the lever latch asan entirety, and the latch is preferably of the form best shown in Figs.2 and 3. It is a balanced treadle latch, so to speak, the balance weightof which is desig- 115 nated 26 and the treadle 27. The fnlcrum or pivot25 of the latch is between the balance weight and the treadle, and theconformation of the latch is such that its body portion 14 extendsbetween the fulcrum and 120 the treadle. The latch is formed with ashoulder 28 and an upwardly extending portion which is in the nature ofa rocking arm, upon which I have placed the numeral 29, and which as toits upper portion extends 125 forwardly toward the balanced weight so asto form the stop or nose 30 of the latch. The vertical distance betweenthe shoulder 28 and the nose 30 is su'licient to permit of the entranceand passage between them of 13 lio the auxiliary locking bar 31hereinafter referred to. rFhe rear face 32 of the rocking arm of thebalance weight is square and more or less right angular with respect tothe treadle portion of the lever latch, as will be understood from thedrawings.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1, S, 9, l() and 11,-33designates the switch stand casing within which is journaled a switchshaft 341-, assumed to be the member the rotary movement of which mydevice is intended to effectuate. Keyed to this shaft 311 which typifiesmerely an actuated member, is what l have described as an actuating ormaster lever 35, the throw of which from the right hand side of Fig. 1to the left hand side of said figure, is the movement which it isdesired to control and regulate by my locking mechanisms alreadydescribed. lf locking mechanisms of any character were absent it wouldbe obvious that this lever could be thrown from side to side to effectthe rotation of the shaft first in one and then in the other direction.My invention is designed to prevent this throw except under the controlof a person authorized to eifect it at the proper time. To the end ofconnecting this lever with the lever latch mechanism so as to controlits locking and to permit of its throw, l connect with the end of thelever nearest its hub the auxiliary locking bar 31 already referred to,by attaching the inner or hub end of said lever to a pivot 36 preferablyextending laterally from the slidable or adjusting head 37 on the masterlever. Although it is not essential, the adjusting head is mostconveniently made adjustable with reference to the master lever by meansof adjusting bolts 38 and the bolt block 39, Fig. 8.

rli`he operation of my invention will now be easily understood.

Assume the bolt of the lock to be in its lower position or thatrepresented in Fig.

2 with its bolt nose down, and the key withdrawn after locking thebolt,-'in this position the lever latch will be locked by the bolt nose,and the master lever locked beneath the nose on the lever latch, so thatit will be impossible to throw the switch from its normal lockedposition shown in Figs. l, 2, 8 and 9. ln order to release the switchlever, it will then be necessary to introduce the key into the lockcasing and rotate it so as to rotate the lock cylinder and therebyelevate the bolt body and its nose so as to set free the lever latch andpermit it to be tilted backward by pressure on the treadle into theposition shown in Fig. 3, in which the nose is thrown back out of thepath of the master lever which is thus released or set free to be thrownfrom the right hand as in Figs. 1, 8 and 9, over to the left handposition not fully depicted but indicated in Fig. 10. In this lastmentioned or left hand position of the master lever it is obvious thatthe auxiliary locking bar will have been caused to move from theposition which it is shown as occupying in Figs. 8 and 9 in which itsfree or unpivoted extremity is entered into only one of the apertures inthe housing, into the position indicated in Figs. 3, 10 and 11, in whichas will be apparent its free extremity will have been caused to passthrough both the apertures in the housing, as particularly shown inFigs. 3 and 11, and in front of the lever latch with the result that thelever latch will be locked in the position represented in Fig. 3. Inthis position it will be seen that the bolt 3 cannot be lowered by theturning of the key since it will strike the top of the latch 14 and asthe bolt 3 cannot be lowered the key cannot be removed from the lock.Before the key can be removed therefore it is necessary to return themaster lever and so the switch to normal position. By swinging over themaster lever the auxiliary locking bar is removed from the front of thelatch 4 which can then be moved back to its position in Fig. 2 with itsnose 30 locking the lever 35 and the operator by turning the key returnsthe bolt 3 to its locking position at which time the bit 17 of the keyis in line with the slot 10 and can be removed. In a word, therefore,after the master or switch lever has been locked in normal position andthe key removed from the lock, the lever cannot be unlocked and throwninto abnormal position except by the further insertion and operation ofthe key, and when the switch has been moved out of normal position it isnecessary for it to be returned to normal position and locked before thekey can be removed. This thus serves as a check upon the operatorbecause to take the key with him insures that the parts are in normalposition. The keys are therefore, necessary elements of the control andoperation of the device as an entirety and if marked with anydesignation of ownership or control and then improperly left in thelock, serve to identify the operator.

Having thus described my invention what 1 claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. ln a device of the character stated, a locking bolt, mechanism foractuating the same, means adapted for removable engagement with themechanism for operating it, a latch adapted in normal position to beengaged by the bolt and adapted when moved to prevent movement of thebolt to locking position, and an auxiliary member adapted to engage thelatch in its released position to lock the same against movement.

2. In a device of the character stated, a locking bolt, mechanism foractuating the leverin suitable connection With a switch,

a latch adapted to normally hold the lever against movement in normalposition, a bolt for Vnormally holding the latch in lockingpositiomfmechanism for actuating said bolt to move it to locking orunlocking position` operating means adapted for removable engagementwithsaid mechanism for actuating the same, and means for preventingdisengagement of said operating means from the mechanism until saidlever is in normal position.`

4:. In a device of the character stated, a lever in suitable connectionwith a movable element, a latch adapted to normally hold the leveragainst movement and adapted to be moved to release the same a lockinObolt adapted to normally engage one face of the I latch to hold it inlocking position, means for moving the bolt to locking and unlockingposition, said latch when released being positioned to present adifferent face thereof in the path of said bolt to prevent movement ofthe bolt, and means, in suitable counection with the lever to be moved,to lock the latch in released position and to unlock the latch when thelever is returned to noi'- mal position.

5. In a device of the character stated, a locking member, mechanism foractuating the same, means adapted for removable engagement with themechanism for operating it, a latch adapted in normal position to beengaged by the locking member and adapted when moved to prevent thereturn of the locking member to locking position, and au auxiliarymember adapted to engage the latch in its released position to lock thesame against movement.

JOHN E. GILLMOR.

Vitnesses:

C. D. MCVAY, K. M. BnoPHY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained lfor ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

